MacIntyre Admits A Bright Light In The Darkness Of Coronavirus Virus Side-Lining.

Top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre admits there could be a personal bright light in the bigger picture of the enforced break from competition due to the Coronavirus.

MacIntyre ended his full European Tour season having be crowned European Tour ‘Rookie of the Year’.

It had been a super start to the young Scot’s career that also included three second place finishes and earning just over Euro 2m in prize-money.

Top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre on day two of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic with his left wrist strapped (Photo @tourmiss)

Though as he headed into a Christmas/New Year break there was a concern with his wrist, so much so, he was advised not to touch a club for six weeks. MacIntyre listened to that advice but then in travelling to Dubai ahead of January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship he’d only hit a handful of practice range balls and his wrist began hurting.

The Aberdeen Standard Investments’ ambassador underwent an MRI on the left wrist and then headed to Abu Dhabi only to first withdraw from the Pro-Am and the tournament proper, and after undergoing a second MRI on the Tuesday afternoon prior.

He returned to the Tour to finish T8th in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic but missed the cut in the following week’s Saudi International while the young Scot finished well down in both the WGC – Mexico Championship and the CB Qatar Masters.

But with the certain guarantee now of at least a further eight weeks on the sidelines and MacIntyre is suggesting it could be a blessing in disguise.

“This break has actually come at a good time for me,” he said.

“My hand was bothering me since The Open last year so it has been a bit of an ongoing issue. I battled gone through it and had eight weeks off at the end of last year.

“I thought that had fixed it, but I turned up in Abu Dhabi and I could hardly hit the ball. I managed to get through it at the start of the season, but now I have a decent break it should be fully healed and ready to go when we start up.

“We did a lot of research on it, everything we could. All I had to do is change my grip slightly and that should cure it. It was just repetition, the way my hand was flipping over. I want to draw the ball and I was having to manipulate my hands too much. It was putting me into a position where my hand wasn’t comfortable and that is the main reason we are changing it.”

‘I am still working way. I am always positive about these things.  I’m just trying to lose a bit of weight, using the Peloton to try to get stronger and get fitter.

‘I’m working on my technique to get it more sound with a different grip.”



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